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New Alzheimer's drug will benefit patients and carers

Efficacy and safety of galantamine in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: multicentre randomised controlled trial

Galantamine, a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease, is effective and well tolerated in patients with mild to moderate forms of the disease and is associated with significant benefits on patients' daily living activities, finds a study in this week's BMJ.

Wilcock and colleagues identified 653 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, attending 86 outpatient clinics in Europe and Canada. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two galantamine treatment groups or a placebo group and were assessed after six months.

The authors found that, compared with placebo, galantamine significantly improved cognitive function and also slowed the progression of functional decline (ability to carry out usual daily activities). For most patients, galantamine was well tolerated, and the authors believe that the drug will provide meaningful benefits to patients and carers.

Contact:

Gordon Wilcock, Professor in Care of the Elderly, Frenchay Hospital, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
Email: Gordon.Wilcock@bris.ac.uk

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